Social Media IS People

In 1973, Charlton Heston shocked audiences with one iconic sentence: “Soylent Green IS people!”, over forty years later and that line still lives on among cinema fans everywhere.  Soylent Green, of course, isn’t the only thing that is people- social media is, too.  Packed full of all the vitamins and nutrients a business needs to thrive, social media is the present and future of marketing.  It's where the people are, which everyone loves, but effective social media involves way more than setting up a Facebook page and twitter account.  Businesses can’t reap the rewards if they don't use it effectively.       


So, how do you make the most of social media?


Be Human

In the age of Donald Trump and largely untouchable corporations, consumers yearn for the ‘good ole days’ when they felt connected to the people behind a company.  Social media makes it possible to connect with customers on a deeper level.  At the end of the day, people want to do business with people NOT companies.  When companies show their human side, studies show, customers are more loyal and that loyalty translates into long term profit.    


Be Consistent

One mistake I see time and time again is inconsistency.  In order to appear in newsfeeds and increase the likelihood of followers sharing your content, you have to be consistent with posting. Consistency keeps your company in the consumer’s mind and that translates into increased business.   


Be Engaging

Consistency and engagement go hand in hand.  Customers not only need to see your content on a regular basis they also need to connect with you too.  Engagement shows you're human and that you care, which keeps your customers coming back for more.  You can’t throw content out there and not respond to your customers when they bite.  Well… you could, but then you wouldn’t be using social media effectively.  If you won’t use it effectively you might as well not use it all.


Be Responsive

Nothing spells doom faster on social media than questions that go unanswered and reviews that aren’t acknowledged.  Customers expect a faster turn around for questions asked on social media than those asked via a website or email.  Not only do they expect a faster turnaround on social media, but the reviews you have -and your response to them- impacts customer acquisition and retention more than anything else you do.  Responding to customers makes a difference and shows up in your bottom line.  


Be Prepared

This is one very important lesson Dr. Palmer, and others, have learned the hard way.  Showing your company’s human side means being human, perfectly imperfect in every way. Choices can lead to disaster without a plan in place on what's shared, how it's shared, and how you'll handle the inevitable missteps.  Missteps can be a public relations win if you're prepared for them before they happen.  Or they can bury you.  The choice is yours.  


Get Help

You can’t do social media alone.  The well is too deep.  The reality is if you’re trying to build and maintain a successful company you don’t have time to navigate the well effectively.  Many try and they fail.  Save yourself the headaches and learn from their failures.  Hire someone with the skills you need to turn your social media presence into profit.  You’ll be glad you did.



Social media is a wondrous place full of people, changes, and profitable possibilities.  If you do it often, do it well, and do it with quality help you’ll be reaping the benefits in no time.